Panda Systems Management Release Notes

Enhancements

The latest version of Panda Systems Management includes these enhancements:

Create Shortcut Menu

Users can now use the + icon in the header to create items in Systems Management according to their permissions. The add Device shortcut automatically applies the currently selected site when + (add Device) is clicked in the site's list of devices.

Profile Menu and Security Level Update

A new Profile menu in the header includes profile settings and options. Users can quickly change the security level of the active session from the menu. The window refreshes to apply the new security level.

Inactive User Logout Configuration

Automatic logout for an inactive user session can now be configured globally. Full screen dashboards are excluded from the inactivity timer to make sure that office dashboards do not require frequent logins.

Switch User from Profile Menu

When multiple users with the same email address exist within one Systems Management instance, you can now switch the active user from the Profile menu.

Run Job from List of Alerts

When an alert with a known, repeatable fix is raised, it is beneficial to use an automated script for a swift and predictable repair. While a fully automated response is preferred, it is common to require a manual review before you run a remediation job. For example, you do not want to immediately reboot a device when an alert is triggered.

You can now run a quick job or schedule a job from any list of alerts, including in dashboard widgets.

New Refresh Behavior for Device Filter Widgets

The automatic refresh interval for device filter widgets is now every five minutes. Device filter widgets also include a manual refresh option from the widget drop-down menu.

Patch Approval Management per Device

Patches can now be set to Approve or Do not approve per device in the current user interface. This enables small overrides of a site or global policy without the need to exclude the specific device.

Saving Views on Device List Pages

You can now save your column selections, order, size, and applied filters on device list pages. This feature enables quick context switching, helps you organize your work into functional categories, and makes your workflow more efficient and personalized. Highlights of this feature include:

• Save up to 10 different views.
• Column changes in a view are automatically saved.
• Column filters and order in a table persist.

Responsive Header Design

The Systems Management header is now responsive to ensure better usability across all devices.

Quick Job Interface Refresh

Several enhancements have been made to the Quick Job user interface for improved clarity and usability. The space between the description and check box for Boolean variables has been reduced to eliminate confusion about which description relates to which variable. The width of the window is now longer to reduce information density and provide a more user-friendly experience.

Multiple Devices Assigned to Network Nodes

It is now possible to assign multiple devices to a Network Node from any device list with the Assign Network Node action.

Disable AutoPlay on External Devices

You can now disable AutoPlay on removable storage devices. When you disable AutoPlay, the Windows operation system blocks the autorun.inf file on storage devices and does not automatically run the predefined application or action.

Resolved Issues

• To improve performance, outdated patch data in the database that was unreferenced by any device for 30 or more days was removed.
• Due to the retirement of the Office 365 Connector, a new webhook template for Microsoft Teams is now available to build a custom payload.
• Software set to require manual approval within a Software Management policy now respects a scheduled deployment window instead of immediate installation when approved. Schedules set to Immediately On Detection continue to run at approval time.
• Additional DNS A records were created to dynamically serve IPs for allowlists of tunnel servers. This eliminates the need to manually update IP address lists.
• Detailed information on the remote-control tools available from the Systems Management agent and Web Remote features has been added to the online documentation, including RDP, VNC, PowerShell, and File Transfer.

This version of Panda Systems Management is a complete redesign of the user experience that includes:

• New look and feel.
• Intuitive user experience with a focus on dashboards and search.
  • New intuitive and data-driven dashboards.
  • Customizable dashboards and widgets provide deeper insight and enable you to take action.
• Responsive user interface that adapts to different screen sizes.
• Fast, real-time, and actionable user interface that enables you to provide services quicker and more efficiently.
  • Improved search helps you to find the information you need faster.
  • Suggestions engine assists with feature set up.

To open the new user experience, click New UI in the upper, left corner of the window. You can then make the new UI your default interface.

New Features

This version includes most of the core features from the existing interface, as well as many new features that are only available in the new UI:

• Updated dashboards with powerful widgets and filters that you can share with other users.
• Network discovery brings instant understanding of the devices on any network with a network node. Device onboarding is also significantly easier.
• Uninstall software from the Software list.
• Related devices card shows how devices relate to each other in the network and makes navigation more intuitive.
• Improved quick job functionality to directly add ComStore components makes it easier for technicians to solve device-level problems with components and to enforce best practices on an endpoint.
• Unscheduled maintenance mode can now prevent unwanted alerts on devices for a specified period of time.
• New navigation for recently used devices and sites makes it easier to return to your previous location in the user interface.
• Device and Alert pages include recent and related alerts history for context.
• Webhooks now integrate the alert system with third-party tools to provide customized alert content directly on systems such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, Power Automate, and Zapier.

Deprecated Features

These features are deprecated and are not available in the new user interface:

Ticketing

We recommend that you use another tool for ticketing. Some tools enable you to create tickets when an email message is received in a specific mailbox with a specific subject line. You can configure PCSM to send those email messages in response to monitoring outcomes.

Job Alerts

Job alerts are not part of the monitoring engine and are rarely seen by users. We recommend that you use component monitors. Job email notifications are also available.

Power Rating / Energy Usage

Power rating and energy usage information was not commonly used.

Power Policies

To apply power settings to a device, we recommend that you use the appropriate ComStore component.

On-Connect Jobs Schedule Option

On-Connect jobs were superseded by the Initial Audit job schedule.

Favorite Devices

The new UI uses recent devices and sites, as well as significant improvements to the way device groups work to find favorite devices.

Suspended Devices

Use the Unscheduled Maintenance or Maintenance policy to suspend devices.

Component Editor — JavaScript, Ruby, Groovy, and Python Script Support

Because Panda Systems Management did not deploy runtimes to run JavaScript, Ruby, Groovy, or Python scripts, the component editor feature set was limited. With the new user experience, you can attach the .py file for a Python script and invoke a local Python installation to run it.

Resolved Issues

• When you export all patches from the patch policy, the CSV file now includes all of the relevant information.
• When you select a Device Filter filter, the Online Duration information now shows correctly.
• The branding logo on the text of the report does not cover the text on the report.